Ms McCarthy - 2007-02-14
It is well known that the Martin government was the first to deliver Year 12 results to indigenous students in remote communities. Can you please advice the House how Year 12 students in our remote areas fared in 2006?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I genuinely thank the member for Arnhem for this question. She is passionate about indigenous education in bush communities, as we all are. We are heading in the right direction, but we do have a long way to go.
As the member for Arnhem rightly pointed out, this government took NTCE studies to remote schools in 2002. It is beyond belief that prior to that, students in remote communities studying for their NTCE had to travel to Darwin and Alice Springs. This meant that for many indigenous Territorians those educational outcomes had not been achieved. Our belief in the capacity of indigenous students was matched with the efforts of three young people …
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex will have the opportunity in debate on education later to put on the record the track record of the previous government, because it was nothing short of appalling.
Three young people in Kalkarindji achieved their NTCE in 2004. In 2005, we saw the number of NTCE recipients in remote communities jump to 25, and in 2006 we were up from 25 to 30 who graduated with a Year 12 certificate. They were from five communities.
My congratulations go to students from Maningrida, where 11 students graduated with their NTCE; seven at Yirrkala; two at Shepherdson College at Galiwinku, at Kalkarindji, another two; through the Northern Territory Open Education Centre, another two; and, for the first time in history, Ramingining with two students.
The member for Arnhem was saying to me in the lobby before coming into Question Time that she has visited the school at Ramingining and on the back of those two students who gained their NTCE last year, a significant number of students have re-enrolled. That is students who did not do their secondary schooling and have come back into the classroom. There is one young lady with a baby in the classroom studying this year. So success breeds success.
As Education minister, I acknowledge we have a long way to go, but 30 students graduating this year from five communities is certainly a long way from where we were just three or four years ago. This government will put our track record on indigenous education on the table against the former CLP government any day of the week.
These results also reflect our $10m investment in secondary schools in remote communities, including $2.2m at Maningrida; $2.5m at Shepherdson College; and $2.5m at Wadeye, and I am looking forward to visiting Wadeye in a few weeks to see the new secondary facility. My colleague, the member for Daly, is keeping me informed about the great things happening out there. There was $1m each for Kalkarindji, Papunya and Minyerri.
We will continue to support remote secondary students with a pool of 20 specialist teachers in the bush, regional directors who have been appointed for the first time in many years to oversee education in our remote communities, and regional learning agents as we create a leading edge distance education service.
My congratulations not only to the students, but very importantly, to all those dedicated teachers who are working very hard with those communities to achieve these results. There is much more to do, but it is great to hear, member for Arnhem, that story from Ramingining. It gives us all hope.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I genuinely thank the member for Arnhem for this question. She is passionate about indigenous education in bush communities, as we all are. We are heading in the right direction, but we do have a long way to go.
As the member for Arnhem rightly pointed out, this government took NTCE studies to remote schools in 2002. It is beyond belief that prior to that, students in remote communities studying for their NTCE had to travel to Darwin and Alice Springs. This meant that for many indigenous Territorians those educational outcomes had not been achieved. Our belief in the capacity of indigenous students was matched with the efforts of three young people …
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex will have the opportunity in debate on education later to put on the record the track record of the previous government, because it was nothing short of appalling.
Three young people in Kalkarindji achieved their NTCE in 2004. In 2005, we saw the number of NTCE recipients in remote communities jump to 25, and in 2006 we were up from 25 to 30 who graduated with a Year 12 certificate. They were from five communities.
My congratulations go to students from Maningrida, where 11 students graduated with their NTCE; seven at Yirrkala; two at Shepherdson College at Galiwinku, at Kalkarindji, another two; through the Northern Territory Open Education Centre, another two; and, for the first time in history, Ramingining with two students.
The member for Arnhem was saying to me in the lobby before coming into Question Time that she has visited the school at Ramingining and on the back of those two students who gained their NTCE last year, a significant number of students have re-enrolled. That is students who did not do their secondary schooling and have come back into the classroom. There is one young lady with a baby in the classroom studying this year. So success breeds success.
As Education minister, I acknowledge we have a long way to go, but 30 students graduating this year from five communities is certainly a long way from where we were just three or four years ago. This government will put our track record on indigenous education on the table against the former CLP government any day of the week.
These results also reflect our $10m investment in secondary schools in remote communities, including $2.2m at Maningrida; $2.5m at Shepherdson College; and $2.5m at Wadeye, and I am looking forward to visiting Wadeye in a few weeks to see the new secondary facility. My colleague, the member for Daly, is keeping me informed about the great things happening out there. There was $1m each for Kalkarindji, Papunya and Minyerri.
We will continue to support remote secondary students with a pool of 20 specialist teachers in the bush, regional directors who have been appointed for the first time in many years to oversee education in our remote communities, and regional learning agents as we create a leading edge distance education service.
My congratulations not only to the students, but very importantly, to all those dedicated teachers who are working very hard with those communities to achieve these results. There is much more to do, but it is great to hear, member for Arnhem, that story from Ramingining. It gives us all hope.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016